The 8 Benefits of Exercising That May Surprise You!

The Importance of Exercise

Toned + Skinny = Happy is a common belief that many women have. We envy those with less cellulite and lumps, we compare our bodies to others and we self hate because we aren’t the perfect media portrayed shape.

However did you ever stop to think how those women you envy and compare yourself too think?

Take that active wear clad, yoga posing gorgeous woman you secretly envy on Instagram. She might be desperately unhappy and exercises all the time because that’s the only thing she has control over in her life. Those likes and comments are what keeps her self worth from plummeting.

Or perhaps that model gracing the cover of the magazine you just bought. She may look happy and healthy, but perhaps deep down she feels fat and ugly.

No woman should feel that way about herself, which is why it’s so important to look after both your mind and your body!

A healthy mind needs a healthy body and vice versa. I firmly believe that without one you, can’t have the other.

Over the next two weeks, I want to discuss this issue with you. Starting this week with the importance of making time to move your body, by reminding you of some of the amazing benefits you can reap from doing so!

So how do you build a healthy body?

It doesn’t take much to build and maintain a healthy body: you could walk 10,000 steps a day, move your body for 30 minutes or complete a HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) workout.

Combine that movement, with reducing the amount of crap you put in your body, and your well on your way to building a solid foundation for a healthy body.

You can check out my no fad food formula here for some food tip inspo and grab your free 3 day meal plan. Eating healthy doesn’t have to be hard, boring or time consuming.

Ok, so back to your body, just what are the benefits of moving your body each day:

1. Better Sleep

Do you struggle to fall asleep or find yourself tossing and turning all night? Exercise can help with that. Regular exercise not only helps you to fall asleep faster, it also promotes a deeper sleep. A good nights rest sets you up to face the day ahead, meaning your mind also gets a boost from a good nights sleep. It’s a win-win situation really.

2. Increased Energy

Every time you complete a workout, you release a flood of endorphins through your body. These endorphins boost your energy and empower you to keep going throughout the day.

Studies show that even doing a low intensity exercise, such as going for a walk, can reduce fatigue by up to 20%! So next time you feel like you can’t be arsed exercising because your knackered, remember that you’ll actually get more energy from doing so.

3. Better Sex Life

We know that exercise gives us more energy, add to this that it also improves our cardiovascular health, flexibility and helps strengthens our muscles. Which combine can result in better sex! This alone should be reason enough to exercise, after all who doesn’t want great sex?

4. Encourages Appetite Control

Studies here in Western Australia have shown that post exercise, our bodies have lower levels of the hormone gherkin, a hormone that stimulates appetite. This means we eat less!

It also promotes lower blood glucose levels, which stops you craving the sweet stuff! Perfect for those (like me!) women who love and crave chocolate cake most days!

5. Boosts Self Worth and Happiness

When you exercise, your brain releases feel good hormones, even more so after an intensive workout.

These happy hormones boost your mood, confidence and make you feel good. That’s why even when your bright red, sweating all over the place and feel like your ready to die after a workout, you’re still happy and feel amazing.

6. Reduces Stress and Anxiety

When those feel good hormones are released post workout, we build our resilience and ability to cope with stress and anxiety. This is thanks to the chemical norepinephrine, which helps regulate our stress response.

Studies show that stress levels can be lowered by up to 50% when you exercise regularly. So next time your feeling stressed, take yourself for a walk or run, or get out and play with the kids and feel those stress levels begin to drop.

7. Makes You Look Younger

Exercise helps to boost circulation and blood flow, helping all the good nutrients and oxygen reach every part of your beautiful body. This helps remove toxins, leaving your skin looking clear and glowing. Exercise even increases the production of collagen making your skin plumper and smoothing out those fine wrinkles! Thank you exercise.

8. Helps You Live Longer

Theres a mountain of studies around the world that have proven exercise helps reduce the risk of many of the nasty illnesses we are humans are prone to including: coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, colon cancer, breast cancer, depression, dementia and osteoarthritis.

So if you knew that you could reduce the risk of these often devastating illnesses happening, why wouldn’t you exercise?

Finally exercise shouldn’t be something you feel you need to do. It isn’t something you do to stop your wobbly thighs, or tone your flabby belly.

It’s important to make this shift in the way you view exercise, as a healthy body will help support a healthy mind and vice versa. You need to look after both to ensure you live a kick ass, happy and healthy life.